Danny Lee changes driver, wins Greenbrier

New Zealander Danny Lee claimed his first PGA Tour title at the Greenbrier Classic on Sunday and he did it with a new driver in the bag.

Danny Lee switched out his Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond and replaced it with a 9-degree Callaway XR with an Aldila Rogue Black 70X shaft and it certainly paid off.

The change saw Lee’s driving distance average for the week hit 286.9 yards, placing him 17th in the field and almost six yards ahead of his season average preceding the start of the week.

That comes as little surprise with the XR’s speed a key factor in helping to increase distance from the tee. Callaway’s Speed Step Crown reduces drag to increase clubhead speed at the point of impact, while the R-MOTO Face Technology increases ball speed across the face by making it thinner and placing the centre of gravity lower.

Accuracy from the tee also proved pivotal to Danny Lee’s victory as he hit 76.78% of fairways for the tournament, a significant increase on his season average of 61.56%, with the added forgiveness from the XR compared to the Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond making a difference.

With his win Lee succeeds Angel Cabrera as the champ at the Greenbrier Classic, who won the 2014 event with Ping’s G30 driver in the bag for the first time.